Marshmallows
by Zume Rokkata
Summary: OLD Demyx finds Zexion, beat up in an alley. Two long lost 'friends' re-unite. A delicate friendship is tested, and Marshmallows save the day. Zemyx
1. Saviour

**Author Note:** Well, this isn't the first thing I've written, But it's the first thing I've posted (If I can ever work out how) This was originally a birthday present for someone. But she gave me permission to post these!!

**Summary:** (because I hate it when you forget to read the summary or something and have to go back just to find out if you want to continue reading) Zexion and Riku, bonded by trauma. Zexion and Demyx, bonded by Marshmallows. Zemyx

**Dedication:** Firstly to Bu (**Zabu-Chan**), this was written for her. And secondly (I can have two can't I?) to **Hikari Aiyano** for replying to _all_ of my reviews and helping me to not be scared about my 'Zexion Demyx Marxhmallows=Love' theory.

**Disclaimer:** I. Own. Nothing. ('cept for an Organization XIII cloak) Not even this. This belongs to Bu. I wrote it and she owns it. Birthdays are like that.

* * *

**Hurt**

**(or Marshmallows)**

_**Chapter One**_

**Saviour**

By Me (Zume-Chan)

* * *

"Retard!"

"Reject!"

"EMO!"

The voices swirled about his head, each word punctuated with a kick. Zexion whimpered. _Go away, please, please, go away._

"Aw, look. The idiot's crying like a girl!"

A boot sunk heavily into Zexion's stomach. Biting his lip to stop himself crying out, he curled up into a ball. _Please, someone, anyone, please._ Someone kicked him in the head, causing him to bite through his tongue. He gagged on the blood and nearly threw up. He needed someone to come, someone to save him. He was desperate. Zexion sent a prayer to every god or goddess he knew of, _please, help me._ Just one person, just someone to help him. He didn't care who.

* * *

"Hey! Demyx! You there?"

Demyx looked up, Sora was waving a hand in front of his face.

"What happened there? Were you like, away with the fairies or something?" Sora's blond twin asked him. Demyx shot him a smile;

"I was just thinking, I have been known to do that on occasion."

"What were you thinking about?" asked Kairi, tilting her head to the side as she linked arms with him.

"Stuff."

Naminé linked arms on his other side.

"What kind of _stuff_?"

It was like the twins were playing tag team twenty questions.

"Just stuff, you know about today and that."

His answer didn't seem to satisfy the girls.

"_What about today?_" they chorused. Demyx sighed in defeat.

"Zexion." he mumbled.

"O-oh, what about him?"

"Just, I dunno, wondering what he does all day. He never talks to anyone."

The girls finally seemed happy with his answer, and for a while, the group walked on in silence.

"What's that?" Demyx squinted as he asked the question, "Sounds like someone's getting beaten up."

The others stopped to listen.

"Yeah," muttered Riku, then a little louder, "Do you think we should go help?"

"'Course we should!" cried Sora, almost indignantly, "We can't just not!"

They followed the sounds to the entrance of an alley way (clichés are clichés for a reason).

* * *

"Oi!"

Zexion looked up at the sound. he could see the outlines of a group at the other end of the alley.

"Back off!" yelled the same voice, and people started towards them. There were five guys and two girls. The group beating him up only had four members. Zexion watched them do the mental arithmetic, deciding in the end that it wasn't worth the fight. Throwing one final kick in his direction, they ran off.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

Someone with the oddest blond hair ran towards him. Zexion pulled himself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall for support. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

"'s okay, 'm fine." he mumbled.

"Are not!" yelled the blond, sounding outraged. "Look at you! You're not okay! No way are you okay!"

And Zexion did look at himself, wincing as he did. His jeans and black t-shirt were both torn and bloodied. His mom wouldn't be happy. Gathering all his strength, he stood up. Gasping as the ground below him seemed to tilt, he fell. But he didn't hit the ground. The blond had caught him.

"See?" he said.

"Who are you." spat Zexion trying to change the subject.

"I'm Demyx Noua, you're Zexion Sase, right?"

Zexion nodded._ Demyx Noua, Demyx Noua..._ The guy was in some of his classes or something. He'd definitely heard the name before.

"Listen dude, where do you live? We need to take you home or something." Demyx looked worried.

"Um, no need, I'll be fine!" stammered Zexion desperately. He couldn't go home looking like this. A silvered haired boy walked forward, he looked familiar...

"I'm Riku." he said simply. Zexion remembered. It had been eight years since he'd last seen him. Shivering at the memory, Zexion looked up at Riku with pleading eyes. _Don't tell them._ he begged silently. _Help me, but don't tell them._

"I don't think he should be going home like this." Riku stated.

"Why not?" piped up a blondie at the back.

"Parents aren't there. He's at home alone. Might pass out or something."

Zexion sighed in relief.

"How do you know?" asked Demyx. _Dammit._

"Family friend, from way back. Heard the folks talking about it." lied Riku smoothly. "Maybe he should come over to my house."

"Yeah, sounds good." Demyx dropped the subject, much to Zexion's relief. Riku ducked under his arm, allowing most of Zexion's body weight to rest on his shoulder.

"Do you want us to walk with you?" The auburn haired girl at the back looked just like the blondie beside her, apart from hair colour and that. She seemed to be talking to Riku only.

"Nah, just as far as normal."

"C'mon, it's gonna rain." The spiky red-head who'd spoken was acting pretty oddly at the thought of getting wet.

"Can you walk?" muttered Riku, so softly that none of the others heard

"Yeah." Zexion replied in a like manner.

"Let's go."

With a painful heave, Zexion started walking. He could honestly say that he had no idea of his location by the time he and Riku peeled off from the group. He still had no idea were he was by the time Riku dragged him through a small gate and into a neat, tidy, _ordinary_ house.

"Hey! Cacy, Thomas?" Riku called out as he stepped through the front door.

"In here!" came a voice from the open plan kitchen/dinning room/lounge. Zexion was led through. There was a slender woman, with golden hair in a loose bun at the back of her neck, She was wearing neutral coloured clothes and an apron. She was cooking something. Sat at the breakfast bar, reading a newspaper, was a tall man with dark hair and glasses. He was wearing a white shirt and dark pants, a tie laid on the seat next to him.

"Cacy and Thomas Clark." said Riku, pointing at the idilic pair. "This is Zexion, you remember him right?"

The two looked up and nodded. They'd never met before, but the blood and torn clothes told them all they needed to know. These people were experts, professionals.

"Nice to see you again Zexion." smiled Cacy, "Will he just be staying for dinner or the whole night?"

"The night." Riku had this simple speaking thing down to an art.

"That's fine. You're not vegetarian or anything are you Zexion?" continued Cacy happily. Zexion shook his head.

"That's great. Thomas, will you go and get the stretcher down from the attic? Riku, why don't you show Zexion your room."

* * *

"Riku Clark huh?"

Zexion was sitting on Riku's bed, arms wrapped around his knees. He'd been shoved into the en-suite with a pile of clothes. It was quite possible that he'd never enjoyed a hot shower more.

"Yup, Cacy and Thomas are great."

"I didn't think you'd change your name."

It had been eight years, they had a lot of catching up to do.

"I wouldn't at first, but then I realised that they meant nothing to me. So I changed my name. I'm glad I did, the look on Cacy's face when I told her..."

Zexion smiled a little at this.

"So you stayed? You said you would, but I wasn't sure."

Riku seemed genuinely curious, not angry like Zexion had expected.

"I had to." confessed Zexion. "I've got my siblings to think of. And my mom. She does love us, it would kill her to lose us."

Riku snorted in disapproval, but dropped the subject.

"Boys! Dinner!" Cacy called from downstairs. Zexion followed Riku down to the dinning room.

"Hope you're hungry." said Thomas with a chuckle. "Cacy's cooked enough for your average army."

He was right, a golden potato bake, covered in cheese, grilled chicken, stir-fried vegetables, garlic bread and a huge salad.

"Serve yourselves, and eat up." encouraged Cacy. "I don't want to have to deal with any left overs. You can manage that can't you?"

* * *

"Remind me to never eat that much again."

Zexion was sprawled on the stretcher in Riku's room, feeling almost happy.

"Man, you eat like a horse."

"Try a whale, they don't chew."

"Mm."

There was restful silence for a few minutes. Then,

"So, can't go home huh?"

Turns out Riku hadn't dropped the subject.

"Not looking like this. They'll call me a weakling and get angry."

"But they won't care if you don't come home?"

"Nup, so long as I don't 'disgrace the family'." Zexion rolled over and stared Riku in the eye, challenging him to disagree. Riku didn't take the bait.

"Whatever."

"It's Friday, right?" asked Zexion. All he could remember from the day was being beaten up and Demyx saving him.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering."

"Oh, okay."

A few more minutes of peaceful silence. It was dark now, the sky through Riku's bedroom window that brilliant dark blue colour.

There was a knock on the door. Thomas opened it slightly and leaned in.

"Um, Riku, you have a visitor." he seemed half-way between laughter and bemusement.

"Oh."

"I think he wants to see you as well Zexion."

"Oh."

The two of them walked down the stairs, feeling a little confused. Cacy was standing at the open door, she smiled at whoever was outside and stepped back. Zexion and Riku moved forward to see who was there. It was Demyx. In his pyjamas. Blue pyjamas to be exact.

"What the hell?" Riku seemed to be as stunned as Zexion.

"We-ell," explained Demyx, not embarrassed in the least. "It's a Friday, and Zexion's staying here, so I thought maybe I could walk over and see if I could stay too."

Riku and Zexion exchanged looks. Riku was the first (and only, really) to speak.

"You walked all the way over here, in your pyjamas? Just to ask if you could stay the night?"

Demyx nodded

"Please!"

"I'm not sure, I mean..." Riku trailed off as Demyx's face dropped.

"I have marshmallows."

Demyx held out a big pink bag. Zexion absolutely loved marshmallows.

"Deal!"

Surprising himself, Zexion grabbed Demyx by the wrist and dragged him inside. Riku raised his eyebrows in a 'where-is-Zexion-and-what-did-you-do-with-him-you-utter-pyscho' look.

"Marshmallows." mouthed Zexion. Again with the look.

* * *

_Two small boys. Beaten and broken, wrapped up in bandages lying on hospital beds. In so much pain, so badly hurt, so alone. No-one comes to wish them 'get well'. They are alone, so they turn to each other. They can understand. They are together in this. For the first time, they can be open, have a real friend. In those few short weeks they bond. _

_Then the police come._

_They are warned, they will have to talk about what happened, how they got so hurt. That night, when they should be asleep, they whisper._

_"Are you going to tell?" says Riku._

_"No," Zexion replies. "are you?"_

_"Yes, of course I am." _

_Riku's voice rises and Zexion has to shush him. _

_"Why aren't you going to tell?" his voice is softer now._

_"They'll take me away." Zexion is distraught at the thought._

_"That's good." Riku seems so sure. "Then they can't hurt you any more. You can be happy. Maybe some people will adopt us both, and we can be brothers."_

_"No!" Zexion is terrified._

_"You, don't want to be my brother?" Riku is hurt._

_"Of course I do." says Zexion, backtracking furiously. "But I can't just leave, who'll look after my mom? And my siblings?"_

_"That's not your job." says Riku firmly. "And your mom did this to you, why should __**you**__ look after __**her**_

_"I can't tell on her, I'm sorry Riku." _

_Zexion is crying now. It's hurts so much to do this. More than the broken bones, more that the cuts and burns. More than anything. _

_Riku mumbles something, Zexion can't hear it clearly, but it sounds like 'Goodbye'. The boys don't speak again that night, or the next day when then police come. They both tell their different stories._

_The next morning they are split up. One child is abused, one is 'clumsy'. One is truthful, one is lying. One is safe, one is returning to a world of pain._

_It's true, Liars never prosper._

* * *

Zexion sat bolt upright, the hurt and fear making him breath heavily. He'd had this memory dream many times before. But this was the first time he'd woken up just feet from Riku. Beside him on the floor, Demyx made a noise and rolled over.

The light from the street lamps shining on him. His blue pyjamas hanging loosely about his skinny frame. Bed-hair sticking up everywhere. He looked so, so... Zexion didn't know what he looked like. He searched desperately for the right word... _Addicting._ That's what he was, addicting. Just one glance at his closed lids had driven all thoughts of that memory/dream from his mind. Something that many bright, busy days had failed to do. It was scary. He'd only just met the guy.

Okay, so he'd they'd shared a packet of marshmallows, but he'd only known this guy for - He checked the clock - ten hours. Why was it that he just couldn't look away? Driving all thoughts of Demyx from his mind (fairly hard seeing as he was only fifty centimetres away), Zexion feel into a deep easy sleep.

It was only after that he realised that he could never normally fall asleep after those dreams.

* * *

**End Notes:** Okay folks, that was the first _thrilling_ installment to Hurt (or Marshmallows). Fear my sarcasm. Yes, I know the 'Liars never prosper' quote is wrong, but does it really matter?

-Insert amazingly compelling request for reviews here-

Not that many of you will read this anyway...

Oh well.


	2. Friend

**Author Notes: **Next chapter, Yay! Or not.  
**  
Dedication: **This one is to my new arm socks! If I hadn't got them today, I would have forgotten to post this. They aren't stripey like Zexi's but I like them  
**  
Summary: **Demyx finds Zexion, beat up in an alley. Two long lost 'friends' re-unite. A delicate friendship is tested, and Marshmallows save the day. Zemyx  
**  
Pairings: **Zemyx

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but my arm socks. Get over it. I am however _trying_ to get hold of the right to KH (who isn't?). You will know that I have ownership when you play your game and find Demyx and Xigbar calling each other dicks.

* * *

**Hurt**

**(or Marshmallows)**

_**Chapter Two**_

**Friend**

* * *

"Yo Zexion!" Demyx called to him from the other side of the room a few months after their first meeting. His bright smile lit up the dark class room, and Zexion couldn't help smiling a little. Demyx was like that, he made people happy. Well sort of. Zexion nervously tugged at the ends of his arm warmers as Demyx walked over. It had taken a whole lot of effort so far to keep him from finding out about his family, if the arm warmers slipped the slightest bit, then it would all have been for nothing. Demyx sat down on Zexion's desk.

"Hey Dem."

"Hey Zexi, nice arms socks."

Zexion blushed deeply, staring at the black and red stripes.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed, they're awesome."

"Thanks." Even to his own ears, Zexion didn't sound convincing. He bit his lip, a bad habit that he really should stop.

"Seriously! They're awesome. You just gotta be proud about being different, let me show you."

Zexion wasn't really listening, just going over the last night in his head, his stomach churning.

"Zexi?" Demyx's voice was worried, really worried. Zexion looked up and gasped. The arm socks were in Demyx's hands, leaving Zexion's wounds bare for all to see.

"Zexi?" repeated Demyx, his hands softly brushing over the long cuts that covered Zexion's forearms.

"It's not what it looks like!" cliché much?

"I know it's not." Demyx looked at him. "You'd never do that to yourself."

_Huh, what?_

"Who did this to you Zexi?"

"No-one!" Zexion's speech was hasty and stumbling "It was me, I did it. No-one else, just me."

Demyx stared at him, and for moment, Zexion thought he'd convinced him. Then his expression turned hard.

"Don't bullshit me Zexion. There is no fucking way that you did this to yourself."

"I did!" Zexion was desperate. _Don't let this fall apart, not now._

"I told you not to bullshit me Zexion. You're fucking terrified of knives."

_Crap, had he noticed?_

"Swear, Demyx, it was me. No-one else. Just me."

Demyx just looked at him, his expression cold.

"Why are you lying to me?" The hurt in his voice was plain "I know you Zexion, and I know there was no way that _you_ did this. No way at all."

"I'm not lying Demyx, why won't you believe me?"

"Because you're not stupid and you're not that depressed. And because I am one of the few people in the world that knows you well enough to know when you're lying."

"You're wrong Demyx. I am _not_ lying to you."

"Yes you fucking well are!" yelled the blond, drawing attention to them and not seeming to care.

"You are fucking lying to me and I know because there is no fucking way on this fucking earth that you did this to yourself! Now stop being such a stupid idiot and tell me who the fuck did this to you!"

Zexion stood up, angry and hurt. Without a backwards glance he stormed from the room, leaving his arm socks behind. They were pointless now that Demyx knew. He grumbled at himself, angry that he had been so stupid. He'd been careless and know he'd lost his only real friend. After all, Riku was nice enough, but they were more like brothers, and there was too much tension between them from any form of platonic relationship to form. He just about ran from the front gates, ignoring the cries of the teachers on duty. What did it matter? Moments later, his restraint broke, and he ran for all he was worth. Not care which turning he took, not caring when cars had to swerve so as not to miss him, not caring that he was about to pass out. Which he did, in the middle of a park.

* * *

"Demyx?" Riku's voice sounded from above him, but Demyx didn't look up. HIs hands just clenched tighter around the stripy arm socks. Riku looked down.

"Hey, aren't those-"

Demyx cut him off.

"Yes."

"Oh, where is he? You two are normally inseparable."

"He's gone. Ditched school. Left. Dunno where he is."

"Why?" worry creased Riku's brow, but Demyx didn't answer.

"What happened!" Riku was shaking Demyx now. The blond held out the arm socks.

"Zexion was wearing these this morning. He was nervous about them, so I was going to put them on, show him that they did look cool." Demyx paused, taking a deep breath. "His arms were covered in slashes, really deep ones, all over the place. He said that he did it himself, but we both know that's bullshit." The blond finally looked up.

"You've been lying to me Riku. You both have. Why? Why would you lie to me? He's my best friend."

Riku looked pensive for a moment.

"It wasn't for me to tell."

"Yeah well, thanks a lot!" Demyx raised his voice as he stood up angrily.

"My best friend now hates me."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry enough to tell me which fucker did this to him?"

Riku didn't reply. Demyx made a disgusted nose and walked away, fighting back tears the whole time.

* * *

Zexion wasn't unconscious for long, but he lay on the wet ground long after he'd woken up. _Demyx knew. Demyx had found out. Demyx thought he was a liar. _And he was. He was a despicable lying fake. The bitterness of life made him feel sick. A few months of having a friend, was that all he was allowed? He rolled over, wincing as tiny twigs and stones dug into the cuts on his arms. At times like these it was hard to remember why he'd made his choice. Hurt and bewildered, Zexion could think of no reason to do anything but lay there, so that's exactly what he did.

A cold wind chilled his skin. He didn't care. Rain soaked him. He didn't care. Hail bullets grazed his flesh. He didn't care. His wounds stung and itched. He didn't care. Demyx's friendly smile never filled his gaze. He did care.

Riku stomped through his front door and dumped his wet bag on the tiles.

"Cacy? Thomas?" his voice was tight, strained. HIs caregivers walked out into the hall.

"What's wrong?"

Cacy was drying her hands nervously on a tea towel.

"We have to go find Zexion."

"What happened?" asked Thomas, but he was already opening the hall cupboard to get shoes and coats.

"He came into school wearing arm socks. Demyx pulled them off and found a whole heap of cuts. It wasn't Zexion, his mom or his brother most likely. He wouldn't tell Demyx the truth, and they fought. Zexion ditched school and we haven't seen him since. He's not at home, I've checked. I'm worried about him, it's really stormy out there."

"Get in the car." said Thomas, throwing Riku a raincoat. "We'll bring him back here.

* * *

"Zexion?"

"Zexion?"

Zexion ignored the calls. Someone was stumbling about in the rain.

"Zexion!"

Someone crouched down beside him.

"Riku! Over here! I found him!"

A moment later Riku was crouched next to him as well.

"You idiot." he muttered despairingly. "I'm starting to question Demyx's 'you're not depressed theory',"

Four arms lifted him up and carried him to a car. Riku sat in the back with him as Thomas drove.

"How's he doing?" asked the 'parent'. Riku put his hand to his friends forehead and muttered something along the lines of 'you pillock'.

"He's got a temperature." he said a little louder.

They pulled up outside Riku's perfect little house. Thomas carried Zexion from the car. Cacy met them at the door, took one look at Zexion and took charge.

"Riku, run a hot bath. Thomas, painkillers and hot chocolate. "

It turned out that Cacy was scarily strong. She carried Zexion up the stairs to Riku's bathroom with ease, placing him gently on the floor ad putting the hot chocolate and painkillers on the bench top.

"Clothes off." she said to Riku, and left the room. Riku helped Zexion take off most of his stuff.

"I think I'm all right from here." Zexion said quietly when he was wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Okay, I'll put some dry clothes in here for after. Stay in as long as you like."

Riku moved out into his bedroom, throwing a pile of clothes into the bathroom and shutting the door.

* * *

An hour and a half later when Zexion emerged, he was warm, if not dry. Riku was sitting on the bed.

"Cacy cooked dinner, it's ready now." he said without looking up. Waves of 'you pillock' rolled off him.

"Oh, okay."

Riku climbed off the bed and led the way down to the dinning room. Zexion sat down and started eating. Manners could go get stuffed. Cacy was the first to speak.

"Demyx called while you were out."

Zexion froze, Cacy noticed, but continued, talking to Riku only now.

"He was worried. I think you should call and say that Zexion's safe."

Riku nodded.

"I'm finished, I'll do it now." He left the table without looking at Zexion. A few minutes of silence passed. Riku returned to the table, but didn't say anything. Again, it was Cacy who initiated 'conversation'.

"Zexion, do you want me to fix up your arms for you?"

Zexion shook his head, sliding his arms under the table. Even the thought of someone touching his wounds made him think of Demyx.

"Go and get ready for bed, then come back down, I'll get you some more hot chocolate."

"Okay."

There was a knock on the door. Zexion looked up fro his hot chocolate.

"Riku, go get that will you?" Cacy asked with her head practically inside the dishwasher. Riku got up and walked into the hall. Zexion heard the door open, followed by a pause, then an exasperated,

"Dem-yx."

Zexion's head shot up and he sprinted to the front door.

"D-demyx?" he stuttered. His best friend was standing on the doorstep, absolutely soaked, in his pyjamas, holding out a bag of marshmallows.

"They're your favourite." sad the blond simply.

"How did you-"

"Best friends just know these things."

* * *

**End Notes: **Ah, the blue pyjamas (lawl, when I typed that, I typed 'pylamas')


End file.
